THPRD Employees Find, Return Dozens of iPads Stolen From Westview High School

Westview officials thank THPRD staff for returning stolen iPads to the school. At left are Dr. Jon Franco, principal; and Brenda Renning, technical support specialist. On the right are THPRD’s Panos Stratis, who found the iPads; and Brady Schwartz, who turned them over to police.

Westview officials thank THPRD staff for returning stolen iPads to the school. At left are Dr. Jon Franco, principal; and Brenda Renning, technical support specialist. On the right are THPRD’s Panos Stratis, who found the iPads; and Brady Schwartz, who turned them over to police.

THPRD Employees Find, Return Dozens of iPads Stolen From Westview High School

Panos Stratis, a Natural Resources technician for the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, was looking for invasive species or illegally dumped trash as he surveyed a natural area near Rock Creek Park on March 5.

Turns out the 30-year-old found something a bit more interesting: a large plastic bag holding 38 iPad tablet computers that had been stolen from Westview High School on Feb. 3.

"At first I thought it was some scrap metal," said Stratis. "When I saw it was a bag of iPads, my thoughts began to race."

Following district protocol, Stratis made an immediate call to Park Patrol, the public-facing arm of THPRD's Security Operations Department.

"Given their condition, it was clear the iPads were not in that location for very long," said Brady Schwartz, Park Patrol employee. Schwartz contacted the Washington

County Sherriff’s Office, took evidentiary photos and assisted the crime scene technician.

The iPads, which cost $400 each, have since been returned to Westview, where information technology technicians have fortunately determined them to be in good working order.

"Getting them back has been a surprise and a huge relief," Franco said. "We are looking forward to putting them back into the hands of our teachers and students."

About THPRD
Formed in 1955, THPRD is the largest special park district in Oregon, spanning 50 square miles and serving about 240,000 residents in the greater Beaverton area. The district provides year-round recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Offerings include thousands of widely diverse classes, 95 park sites with active recreational amenities, nearly 70 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and about 1,500 acres of natural areas. For more information, visit www.thprd.org or call 503-645-6433.